Section 16
Permission to offer or provide courses
(1)
Subject to subsections (2) and (3), no registered private education institution may offer or provide a course, whether in Singapore or elsewhere and whether by itself or in association or collaboration with or by affiliation with any other person, except with the permission in writing of the Agency and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the permission.
(2)
Subsection (1) does not apply to the courses that may be prescribed.
(3)
No registered private education institution may offer or provide, whether in Singapore or elsewhere, a course leading to the award of any associate, undergraduate or graduate degree or any other degree that is conferred in its own name without the permission in writing of the Minister.
(4)
An application for the permission of the Agency under subsection (1) must —
be made on behalf of the registered private education institution by a manager of the registered private education institution (called in this section the applicant) to the Agency in the form and manner, and within the time, that may be prescribed; and
be accompanied by the prescribed fee.
(5)
The Agency may, upon an application made under subsection (4) and after any inquiry that it may think necessary, grant its permission subject to such terms and conditions as it thinks fit or refuse to grant its permission.
(6)
The Agency may, in determining whether to grant its permission under subsection (1), have regard to any considerations that it thinks fit.
(7)
The Agency may require the applicant making an application under subsection (4) to furnish it with such information or documents as the Agency considers necessary in relation to the application.
(8)
Where the applicant fails to furnish the Agency with any information or document required under subsection (7) in relation to his or her application within the time specified by the Agency, the application is deemed to have been withdrawn.
(9)
Without limiting subsection (5) and despite section 22, the terms and conditions subject to which the Agency grants its permission to a registered private education institution may include a term or condition requiring the registered private education institution to be or to remain (as the case may be) a member of a Scheme.
(10)
The Agency may at any time, without compensation —
add to, vary or revoke any term or condition of its permission granted under subsection (5); or
suspend or revoke its permission granted under subsection (5).
(11)
Any registered private education institution which contravenes subsection (1) or (3) shall be guilty of an offence.
(12)
Any person who knowingly or recklessly —
issues or publishes any advertisement of any course to be offered or provided by a registered private education institution, being a course which the Agency has not granted its permission under subsection (1); or
solicits or receives any money from any student in respect of such a course,shall be guilty of an offence.[43